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Shingles - Where do you feel the symptoms?

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kevin-Canada
kevin-Canada

We all know shingles symptoms being pain, tingling, burning, itching on the skin and we all have had shingles at least once and that is why we are here so in your case(s) "Do you feel above symptons exactly where you later get the blisters and sores later or those sores occur somewhere else some distance away to where the tingling and burning started?"

In my case first time shingles 4 years ago and I had tingling and burning on my thigh and that was exactly where I got blisters and sores later but this time since May I have had recurring problem (my doctor says it is shingles but I am not so sure as based on what I have read herpes simplex symptoms and pictures are identical to shingles but simplex not zoster is the one which recurrs).

In these recent cases unlike 4 years ago it starts with pain in my left arm, then burning and tingling starts on the skin of my left arm and round wrist and top of my left hand and then two days later very tiny blisters occur on completely different place, that is on the palm of my left hand on a small area below my middle finger. The tiny blisters join up to form two or three larger blisters turning red a week later becoming sore and falling off. No red patches as I see in pictures. Thank you in advance.

5 likes, 62 replies

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  • jet0308
    jet0308 kevin-Canada

    Posted

    I had my first bout of shingles 2 years ago and since then have had random flare ups. I usually get really bad headache the day before and then the tingling pain starts. The blisters then appear over the next couple of days, sometimes there has just been one but this time I have had about over a period of 2 weeks. The blisters have all been in the same region as they were orignally
    • kevin-Canada
      kevin-Canada jet0308

      Posted

      Where do you get the tingling pain a couple of days before blisters appear? In the region where you later get the blisters or far away from it?
    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 kevin-Canada

      Posted

      Kevin,

      It is a misnomer that Herpes Zoster-Shingles only occurs once. For us less fortunate individuals, it has occurred for the past 20 to 40 years. I get Zoster-Shingles in my right ear every three to five weeks for the last 19 years.

      Your Zoster is somewhere in the Cervical 5th to 8th nerve dermatome distribution, and is obeying the typical case of Zoster, in which it comes out in crops or waves of vesicles-blisters. If you Google dermatomes, you will see what I mean about dermatome distribution as it is mapped out beautifully.

      Not all cases have to follow the exact same pattern, and some flares are worse than others, but not everyone has red base under their respective vesicles-blisters.

      Very often, if you are in tune to your body, you may notice you feel "off" 7-10 days preceding the pain and rash, almost as if you are getting the flu with some of these symptoms; malaise, aches, chills, sweats, headaches, fatigue, etc. This is the predromal phase of Herpes Zoster, the viral infection. If you feel the first tingle of pain or itching in the affected area , this is the time to start the antivirals as it makes the Zoster flare much less painful and can shorten the duration of pain by days. I have had many episodes to get this down to a science on my body. I am a nurse practitioner across the pond, and believe in alleviating the suffering with this agonizing disease. If you need Opioids for the pain, make certain you get them from the doctor.

      I hope this helps.

      Merry Juliana

    • kevin-Canada
      kevin-Canada Merry19451

      Posted

      Thanks Merry. Yes you are right. I found an article and attached the link to the other thread which says based on recent studies shingle recurr more than it was thought and in immunecompetent people as well. Before it was thought that it occurs only once in a lifetime and very rarely a second time and only in those with badly compromised immune systems like HIV or Cancer or autoimmune diseases which first was very scary to read.

      I don't think that the medical science know much about shingles and they are still learning. They know much more about herpes simplex but not zoster. You are also right. I am beginning to reach the conclusion that mine is shingles too not simplex. The blisters after forming inmy case are of unequal size (in simplex I read all blisters are equal) and in herpes only the to be blistered area in tingling and burning not far away from it as is my case (the blistered area only is painful after blistered appear on palm of my left hand but burning and tingling starts in my left arm and skin of wrist and back of my left hand not the palm).

      There will be a vaccine in 2017 which apparently would prevent shingles and its recurrence for lifetime. I look forward to that. In the meantime I will get the vaccine that we have now once the current sysmtoms go away in 2 weeks.

      Thanks.

    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 kevin-Canada

      Posted

      When I read your blisters occurred at different times and were different sizes, and also the distribution, I knew it was Zoster, not simplex. Unfortunately, the Healthcare community needs to catch up to the current medical knowledge of Zoster. Some clinicians remain abysmally ignorant.

      The Zostavax did not attenuate my frequency or intensity of Zoster.

      Good Luck with your Zoster.

      Merry Juliana

    • kevin-Canada
      kevin-Canada Merry19451

      Posted

      Yes thanks to your posts and what  could find later on internet I am beginning to conclude without doubt that my case is shingles. See there are so many misleading posts about shingles (like occuring once in a lifetime and recurring for those with badly compromised immune system) that I was not sure at first since other than shingle attacks they could find nothing wrong with me. Also my shingles are not as painful as what I have read about shingles. Sure buring and tingling but fortunately I have no sharp or even moderate pain but a bit of buring/tingling away on the skin of my left arm and a bit of pain where blisters later develop (if I press hard on that area). I guess I have to be grateful to all that since what I have read about shingle sufferers it is horrible!!.
  • jet0308
    jet0308 kevin-Canada

    Posted

    Kevin yes the tingling and pain is where my old shingles were. Sure enough a blister  or 2 appears. Having real bout of it at the moment
  • jayneejay
    jayneejay kevin-Canada

    Posted

    Hi Kevin

    i had reocurring shingles - last outbreak was beginning June ..

    also on butt cheek i know when its coming as a deep ache begins in butt cheek, hot - stabbing awful - i get an awful headche and feel unwell, then a few days later the blisters ..

    i discovered in June i had a vitamin D deficiency - i asked for a Vit D level blood test .. I now take 2200iu of Vit D3 a day my levels were 28 .

    There is a link of D deficiency and shingles apparently ..

    jay 

     

    • kevin-Canada
      kevin-Canada jayneejay

      Posted

      Thanks Jay for your comments and contributions. I have been taking vitamin D for a month now.

      I have a theory on my recurring shingles (I am a record broker, 4 times in 4 months though mild, no sharp pain and a few blisters on small area). My theory is that I travelled to Greece in April. I must have been infected with something there as when I returned I had 40C fever for 2 weeks then shingles attacks started. Likely the April infection destroyed my immune system and recovery may take months. Also I can't get enough sleeps weekdays as I wake up at 5:00 am to go to work so that may be aanother factor. I am taking all kinds of vitamins and minerals though past two months like one a day and vitamins D, B complex, and C and zinc, calcium/magnesium, lysine as well as eating lots of fruits (i have gain 8 pound because of this) and none has worked so far. Also I have noticed that excessive sexual activities make the immune system (mine at least) weak. Now this theory may be rejected by many but over the weekends is most likely when I catch cold or come down with shingles symtoms (my GF lives out of town some 200 km away and visits me Saturdays only).

    • jayneejay
      jayneejay kevin-Canada

      Posted

      Hi Kevin

      strange isnt it ..

      when you have the blisters a swab can be taken and analysed to see what it is exactly ..

      you say maybe picked up something in Greece .. Or maybe the flight as they have alsorts in a flight cabin .. ' good place to catch a bug ' 

      I live in southern spain .. 

      I got my first lot of shingles in Jan this year and had it 4 /5 times this year ..

      but i also had a back injury ( slipped discs) and it came again and again after .

      the last time it was May and a week later June i got even more blisters next to my usual ones .. like two lots the last time a few days after.. 

      They were drying nice then a new lot burst out ..

      we all have shingles laying dormant in our nerves after we have had chicken pox, its just knowing what triggers shingles and why it keeps coming ..

      😩

      jay  

  • jet0308
    jet0308 kevin-Canada

    Posted

    I too am in Spain, South Eastern. Mine seems to have been worse this year in the extreme heat and humidity. I have been a bit stressed too. My first ever blister came after my spine fractured due to Osteoporosis and was on the same verterbra. Mine were down my left buttock and left leg and also in my groin area. so very painful. that is exactly where they go when I have a flare up. 
  • staceyb4
    staceyb4 kevin-Canada

    Posted

    I first got shingles at twelve and it was a pretty classic but brutal case that lasted months. I was then free until two years ago when I got them four more times.

    In all cases I had extreme pain of varing kinds in my back. At times I thought I had an injury and then it would feel like sever indigestion. All 4 times this lasted for several weeks until flu like symptoms showed.

    Only this time did I get blisters, the third time it was a much finer rash and the last 2 times, there has been no rash but still the lingering pain and burning.

    This makes it difficult to get a Doctor to diagnose you and without the anti-viral, it lasts much longer.

    Best wishes for all.

    • kevin-Canada
      kevin-Canada staceyb4

      Posted

      Sorry about reading the pains you went through. Fortunately in my cases there is little pain but a few blisters. Yes I read some cases of shingles have just pain and no blisters and the doctors have to see blisters in order to give prescription for antiviral.

      Also in my cases I am not sure how effective antiviral is, For example this time I took Valtrex as soon as I saw the tiny blisters and the antiviral doesn't kill the virus but is supposed to prevent it from replication but when I started they were tiny blisters now a week later they are a few large blisters so  this likely mean significantly more virus about 10 times more under my skin compares to when I started antiviral. But I recommend taking antiviral as soon as symptoms show though it would be hard to convince doctors to prescribe at that stage.

  • kpshingles
    kpshingles kevin-Canada

    Posted

    My first time ever having shingles. I am a 41 year old female and my sister who's a year older than me got it about 3 years prior. I think we were both vaccinated around the same time as kids for chicken pox and maybe the vaccination has finally worn off. I just thought it was interesting that we both got shingles when we hit 40. Mine started with a quarter sized rash on my left butt cheek. I thought it was a bug bite because I had gone hiking the day before. But then there was also a rash and pain in my right inner ear. Then about a week after the butt rash I got another quarter sized rash behind my left knee and on the bottom of my left foot. Pain was radiating on my left leg especially at night when I tried to go to sleep. I thought I was dying from some horrible mysterious illness until I googled shingles today. Thank goodness for the Internet. The ironic thing was last year I tried to get the shingles vaccine and my medical insurance wouldn't cover it until I turn 50. I'm in the US. It's been almost 2 weeks and the pain from my left bottom of my foot rash is annoying. I'm hoping it goes away soon and forever.
    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 kpshingles

      Posted

      The vaccination for chickenpox became available in the US in 1996, and therefore your sister and you were too old to have received the chickenpox vaccine. Shingles (Herpes Zoster) usually does not spread from one dermatome to another and rarely crosses the midline of your body. In other words, you would not have shingles in your R ear, behind the left knee, and the left buttock and call the rash shingles. I would confer with your physician.
    • kpshingles
      kpshingles

      Posted

      The right ear pain might not be shingles but the rash on my left butt and knee and foot is consistent with the symptoms. It's also accompanied with burning and tingling. Here's a pic of my worse rash on my butt
    • Amy_in_agony
      Amy_in_agony kpshingles

      Posted

      I feel compelled to chime in on your comment about the ear pain, etc. I just got an outbreak on my ear and was perplexed until I read some info from this forum. I most definately have outbreaks on both sides of my body but not usually at the same time. But I would swear on a stack of bibles that it does not stay on one side only. I hope the medical community will start to realize that it's not common for it to shift sides but it's happening to many people so it's not impossible to fathom. How are things going now... I see this was nearly a month ago- did your ear clear up ok?
    • kpshingles
      kpshingles Amy_in_agony

      Posted

      Thanks for your message. Thankfully yes my shingles has completely cleared. It lasted about 2 weeks. The ear pain is gone as well as the rash on my left side butt, leg, and foot. I'm pretty sure it was shingles because all of the symptoms were there. painful rash and radiating tingling.
    • Azbella
      Azbella Merry19451

      Posted

      Hi , Merry , newbie here , had shingles on scalp with excruciating headache / eye pain . That was 7/15 , just had week of feeling tired , blah , flu like , 2 cold sores a few days apart &today the headache / eye pain reappeared, have had itchy Avalon blisters previously & hair loss 😕 . I'm thinking I'm going to have a flair up , perhaps it has all ready begun... Am glad I found these blogs very interesting. 👍
    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 Azbella

      Posted

      Hi Azbella,

      I am so sorry for your suffering. It certainly sounds as if you are in for another episode. Please see your physician today for antivirals. The sooner you start them, the less excruciating the pain, the less duration the episode and symptoms will be. I am the voice of experience as I get recurrent Herpes Zoster-Shingles every three to five weeks for the last 20 years in my right ear. I am a nurse practitioner in the States.

      Also, please ask your doctor for an analgesic, a strong Opioid, if you have the severe pain. Oxycodone is one of the stroger Opioids. Please rest, which is hard to do, I know.

      Please let me know if I can help you more. I have never heard of "Avalon blisters." Could you tell me what they are.

      Best Wishes

      Merry Juliana

    • Azbella
      Azbella Merry19451

      Posted

      Spell check. .,,, blisters. They get crusty n itch sorry. Thank you for your reply. ... I was a nurse , I swear more & more folks are getting shingles. , of course I didn't get the vaccine , but thought. , I got them . So that was it... Surprise , today I feel feverish . Have a good day. Ty
    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 Azbella

      Posted

      Azbella,

      I would get the antivirals immediately. When I feel feverish with the chills and sweating, malaise etc I know I am in for it. Hopefully, your physician is an excellent one.

      Merry Juliana

    • Azbella
      Azbella Merry19451

      Posted

      No that's the problem , he's new to me , I've moved. . But live close enuf to Mexico I can get meds . Any suggestions ... Have this rash on forearms , , had punch biopsy - was neg . Been to dermatologist ... Waste of time. .. I'll look up name .. Of rash ...wondering if rash was pre curser to shingles I've had rash 2 yrs , n severe eye / headaches since before that. ... Oh n scalp shingles ... Evidently kill hair follicles .,, one more wonderful thing from shingles . Look forward to you're reply Thank You. 😉
    • Azbella
      Azbella

      Posted

      Oops sorry bout skin problem. 😕
    • Merry19451
      Merry19451 Azbella

      Posted

      Azbella,

      This is a new, but recurrent rash in the same place as the first rash? Does the rash look like vesicles-blisters on a red base occurring in crops? If not, it probably isn't shingles.The physician should have done a PCR test to validate shingles-zoster.

      Do you live in Texas or California or New Mexico?

    • Azbella
      Azbella

      Posted

      Actually I can't see them but they are raised blister type , if I touch them my fingers are wet , then scabs , then itches ...,,the pain has been coming , on temple area toward eye socket , then feels someone is trying to dig my eye out with burning intense pain , now there is a cluster the rash in on crown area of head . Ty for your help Merry
    • Azbella
      Azbella Merry19451

      Posted

      Here we go again scalp itchy crusty patched areas found and eye pain ..., my thick hair is thinning - not happy ,,, this started July 2015 does this go on forever .. hi merry !! 🌵👍💕

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